Fact: every professional will have to work at least one sh*t job in their lifetime.
Whether it’s dealing with horrible customers, an overbearing boss, or incredibly mind-numbing work, we’re all destined to face a role that we have no choice but to submit to. After all, there are bills to pay, groceries to buy, and taxes taunting you with every price tag.
While it might only be a few hours of your day, being in a toxic environment on a regular basis can have a huge negative impact on your mental and physical health. In fact, there are many professionals who don’t realize the change in their demeanour until after they’ve distanced themselves from the role.
Being subjected to your own personal career hell will change you. And while it’s a milestone that everyone dreads, it’s an important one that will put a lot of things into perspective.
You learn to read between the lines
Your co-workers have perfected the art of convoluted business lingo. “I’ll take this under advisement” means “you’ll never hear from me about this again.” Also, you learn bosses who tend to trail off into long-winded speeches often have no idea what they’re talking about.
You feel a lot more sympathy for “the little guy”
No more giving management the benefit of the doubt. After all, you can only see your fellow co-workers get steamrolled and scapegoated by awful managers a certain number of times before disillusionment sets in. How hard is it to be a decent human being?
You develop superpowers that you never had before
While you might not be able to fly or shoot lasers out of your eyes, you might learn how to stand your ground and not be a pushover or create paper trails in case a co-worker tries to scapegoat you. This might seem harsh, but the most successful professionals know how to conduct themselves in a manner that minimizes risk to themselves.
You start to fantasize about your big dramatic exit
From Bridget Jones’ Diary to Scarface, we’ve all seen enough TV sitcoms and films to know what a truly satisfying “I quit” scene looks like. Everyone has dreamt at one point or another of sticking it to the man (or woman) who’s made your life miserable. Not that we endorse burning bridges or anything, but getting to really give them a piece of your mind would be oh-so-satisfying.
You learn to put yourself first
No job, no matter how prestigious or well paid, is worth sacrificing your quality of life. Your career has the ability to influence who you are as a person and how you conduct yourself, so it’s important to surround yourself with positive, like-minded people of whom you don’t have to second-guess their motives.
Whether you’re currently going through this rite of passage or reminiscing about a nightmare that you’ve left behind, know that there are great opportunities to be had in future. And now that you have the experience under your belt, you can be a little more discerning with your future roles.
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